And though his loving face is hid from them, And they are doɔm'd to woe, and deepest grief; Yet, who dare fay He loves them not at all ? Did not the wrath of God o'erwhelm his head ? Did he not feel the pains of death and hell? · 1005 Did he not taste the horrors of defpair? Was not his foul forfaken of his God? Nay, did he not defcend to hell itself ?
Did he not fee the mis'ries there endur'd? Yet, was he not the Father's dear delight? Who then can fay, from Nature's deepest ground, That fouls once loft can never be redeem'd? Did not Chrift die for all, both quick and dead? Is not his pow'r fufficient to restore?
And who can doubt his wisdom or his love? 1015 Or, who can say-His will designs it not ?
But I anticipate. And now return. To trace the Savior's works of mighty love; Which fhone confpicuous, and made known to men, His glorious character, and grand defign, As the Redeemer of the human race.
When Peter fought to give a short, but fuli Defcription of that Jefus whom he preach'd; Thus he defcrib'd his perfon, and his life ;- Jefus of Nazareth, by God approv'd,.. Anointed with the Holy Ghost, and pow'r ;- Who ceafelefs journey'd, always doing good; And healing all by Satan's pow'r oppreft : For God was in and with him, of a truth. To tell his wonders is a talk, indeed,
Of which St. John himself defpair'd's and faid-- If all the things were written, every one, Which Jefus wrought; where would the Sufficient to contain the num'rous books? For, I fuppofe, the world could not receive The many volumes, with their strange contents. O mighty Pow'r, and Will; that heal'd the fick, And made the deaf to hear, the blind to fee, The lame to walk, the dumb to speak his praise : That caft out demons of the fiercest kind, 1040 The fouleft lepers cleans'd, and rais'd the dead;" Cur'd all difeafes, with a word, or touch ;. That turn'd the water into richeft wine :
That calm'd, at once, the winds and raging waves: That fed fuch numbers with fo little food, Brought fhoals of fish to Peter's empty net, And made a fifh it's Maker's tribute pay, And walk'd upon the foaming brine, with eafe! These were his labors, proofs of pow'r divine, And fruits of boundless love to finful man! 1050 How pure, how spotlefs, was his holy life! How perfect his obedience! how exact! His conformation to the law divine!
Nor thought, nor principle, nor word, nor deed, Was found amifs, through all his humble courfe! How strong, how ardent, was his love to God! 1956 How great was his benevolence to man!
It was his meat to do his Father's will, And to peform falvation's noble work.
His holy doctrine, clean, from error free, 1060
Tending to glorify his Father's name,
And to reveal the God of heav'n in truth; Spoke him the facred messenger of peace. God's meffengers have always borne this mark,
(And by the fame they ever shall be known) 1055 They never glorify themselves; but feek
To honor Him who fends them in his name. Thus, Jefus glorified not himself,
Sought not that honor which he might have claim'd;. But glorify'd and honor'd Him, who said,
Thou art my Son; I have begotten thee:
And I will place thee on a glorious throne. When Jefus promis'd foon, from Heav'n to fend The Comforter, the Holy Ghoft, divine; 10702 The fame defcriptions, constant marks, he gave, Lieft, by falfe fpirits, they should be deceiv'd ! The Comforter my name fhall glorify, By taking mine, and fhewing it to you: But of himself he will not fpeak at all But what he hears of me, fhall he declare. The blefs'd apostles, by the Spirit fent, Sought not themselves to magnify; but Him Who call'd, commiffion'd, qualify'd, and taught Them to proclaim the gospel to the world.
Chrift's doctrine, manners, miracles, combin'd
To prove, beyond exception, him to be The great Meffiah, Savior of the world ; Of whom both Mofes and the Prophets wrote. Nor, in one inftance, did he ever fail
T'accomplish their predictions, of the ftats
Of his humility, and bitter grief,
Thro' which he pass'd, or earth, to fave mankind.......... A Here, then, we paufe a while; and Him adore, Who left the regions of eternal blifs, And tabernacled in our world of woe,
And bore our ills, to bring our fouls relief.
Oh! could we praife him as his love demands T And render homage, and obedience due,
To that great name, which merits all renown
O WHAT a theme employs my humble mufe! Already have I sketch'd the virtuous life
To paint the wounds--the forrows-he hath felt. Be tun'd my foul to grief, while I relate The meritorious fuff'rings of the man,
The dear God-man, who groan'd and bled for me: Nor me alone, but all the human race!
Can heart conceive, words fpeak, or pen defcribe, This most amazing, heart-affecting fcene? Be other woes forgot. This is enough
To thaw the adamant, and melt the flint.
O fin, what haft thou done?-not only fill'd God's world with woe, but his own Son with pain! Where fhall I now begin? where make an end ?
The tale I tell contains fuch weighty things,
That I'm unable to exprefs aright.
But what I can, I will perform: the reft
Must be referved for nobler thoughts and pens:
And I fhail be content, if what I write
Give no offence to any-joy to fome.
Begin we, then, in fad Gethsemane :
O doleful garden! where our Saviour felt
That most heart-rending agony that fore'd
The fweit, like drops of blood, through ev'ry pore.
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